An Oscar Wilde bar just opened in New York

Because “work is the curse of the drinking classes,” we have somewhere to go

Oscar Wilde NYC has one of the longest bars in New York and not one but two statues of the author. Photo: Facebook page of Oscar Wilde NYC

New York City is home to its fair share of literary haunts; walk down any given street in Manhattan, and you’re likely to stumble across a dive, martini bar or hotel lobby where luminaries such as Ginsberg, Fitzgerald, Baldwin or Hitchens were once known to pull up a bar stool. (There’s even a book dedicated to this particular slice of metropolitan history.) And now, thanks to a newly opened bar in NoMad, fans of Oscar Wilde have their very own spot to pay tribute to the Irish novelist, essayist and playwright—complete with one of the longest bars in New York and not one but two statues of the author.

The interior of the bar, which has simply been dubbed Oscar Wilde, is as opulent as you might expect for a place dedicated to a man whose preferred alcohols were Champagne and absinthe. There are roaring fireplaces, over-the-top marble statues, a piano dating back to the 1890s, pieces of imported Murano glass, gilt framed mirrors, and eccentric antiques scattered in various corners. Those with a sharp eye will spot quotes from Wilde decorating the space too.

It’s the latest venture from Frank McCole and Tommy Burke, the Irish duo behind the almost equally ostentatious Lillie’s Victorian Establishment, dedicated to Lillie Langtry, a Victorian actress and one-time friend of Wilde’s. According to The New York Times, the pair thought it “only natural” to dedicate their new bar to the Picture of Dorian Gray author. One of the two bronze statues depicting him can be found propped up—pint of Guinness in hand—against the 118.5ft marble and mahogany bar, and even the grandfather clock is set to 1.50pm, the time of Wilde’s passing in 1900.

“Coming from County Mayo and County Monaghan in Ireland, we grew up reading Oscar Wilde and studying his literature,” Burke and McCole said in a press release. “We want the bar to celebrate his legacy and become an inclusive destination for all.”

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